This invention relates to hand tools, and in particular, to a hand tool for simultaneously removing shingles and nails from a roof.
Roofs for many contemporary single family and multiple family dwelling structures utilize an outer roof covering consisting of fibrous shingles nailed to a plywood sheathing roof construction. The roofs are covered with a plurality of overlapping, horizontally aligned rows of shingles. The shingles may be made of asphalt or wood and are nailed or stapled to the underlying plywood sheathing. Generally, beginning with the bottom or lower-most edge of the roof, the shingles are nailed in place with successive layers or rows overlapping the top of the preceding below-mounted row. The shingles are generally attached to the roof sheathing by nails or staples.
Due to the inherent exposure to the elements, roofing materials have a limited effective life. This means that roofing materials must be replaced periodically during the useful life of the dwelling structure to ensure continued protection from weather. Replacement usually requires that all of the roofing materials be removed and replaced with new roofing materials. Since roofing materials are generally attached to a structure by fastening elements such as nails or staples, removal is difficult, tedious, and dangerous.
Various tools have heretofore been provided for removing old shingles preparatory to the installation of new roofing material. Designs heretofore provided either do not provide sufficient mechanical advantage for ease in removal of roofing nails or are not efficient for rapid removal. Nearly all prior art tools require a physical prying motion by the tool user. Typically, shingles are removed from a roof structure by using a chisel or pry bar type tool or spade fork leaving nails behind for a second operation with a claw hammer. The process involves inserting the chisel or pry bar underneath the uppermost shingle and then lifting the exposed end of the chisel or pry bar to push the uppermost shingle away from the underlying shingles. The process is time-consuming and relatively inefficient. Usually several back and forth motions of the chisel or pry bar are required to remove a given shingle from the roof surface.